Miserere Mei, Deus
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MISERERE MEI, DEUS GREGORIO ALLEGRI A Quest for the Holy Grail? BEN BYRAM-WIGFIELD © 1996 Ben Byram-Wigfield Revised 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2007 All rights reserved. Designed and typeset by Ben Byram-Wigfield A performing edition is produced as a companion to this essay, as the result of the research. MISERERE MEI, DEUS GREGORIO ALLEGRI A Quest for the Holy Grail? BEN BYRAM-WIGFIELD Ben Byram-Wigfield was born in Herefordshire in 1970, and first discovered Allegri’sMiserere mei as a chorister at King’s College, Cambridge, where he sang the top C of this famous work. After leaving the King’s School, Worcester, he became a choral scholar at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh whilst studying for a B.Sc. from Heriot Watt University. He subsequently sang as a lay clerk at Gloucester Cathedral, and has since produced many editions of early church music. MISERERE MEI, DEUS GREGORIO ALLEGRI A Quest for the Holy Grail? Contents Introduction . 7 The Manuscripts . 8 The Holy Grail . 15 Remaining Questions . 20 Summary and Chronology . 21 Postscript . 22 Sources . 23 Musical Appendices . 24 Biography of Allegri . 30 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I should like to thank the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and the British Museum for making the manuscripts available; also Philip Colls and Dr. Simon Anderson for their academic insight and help. Figures: 1. Engraving of the Sistine Chapel by Filippo Juvara, 1711 2. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana ms 185, f 1 3. Engraved portrait of Gregorio Allegri, 18th c (Anon.) A Quest for the Holy Grail? 7 Introduction regorio Allegri (1582 - 1652) was a singer in the Papal Chapel from 6th December 1629, until his death on 17th February 1652. He is almost exclusively known for his falsobordone setting of Psalm 51 G(Vulgate Psalm 50), the Miserere mei, despite numerous other compositions. Most will know this choral work for its haunting top C, sung by a lone voice, and the sweeping harmony of the larger choir, separated by simple plainchant. But Allegri’s original is far removed from this received version, so what has happened over the years to transform the work? History beguiles us with tales of secret ornamentation —the so-called abbellimenti— never written down, but simply passed from performer to performer. Many have expounded on the piece’s beauty and uniqueness, and legend tells that unauthorised copying of the work was an excommunicable offence. It was de rigeur for those on the Grand Tour in the 18th century to hear the work during Holy Week. Mozart is supposed to have copied the work after hearing it performed. However, no copy survives by his hand. Although rumours of the work’s inauthenticity are becoming more com- mon, very few people have heard the work performed differently, and even fewer will be so bold as to suggest exactly what a replacement should be. That having been said, many people will prefer the ‘top C’ version, and not care whether it is authentic or not. My intention is to look firstly at the manuscript sources for this work in both the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana and the British Library, see how the piece has been written throughout its history, and then draw conclusions from the music. Finally, an authentic edition is produced, to show in modern notation how the work would have been sung. In telling the history of this piece of music, I hope to remove the shroud that has cloaked the work since its inception, and let only the truth remain. Ben Byram-Wigfield 8 Allegri’s Miserere The Manuscripts Vatican mss 205 & 206 (see Appendices 1 & 2) The idea of setting this particular text as a falsobordone, alternating two choirs of five and four voices between verses of plainsong was coined by Constanzo Festa, (c. 1490 - 1545) in 1514. Subsequently, the format was attempted by Palestrina, Anerio, Nanino, Guerrero and others, before Allegri composed his version. These companion volumes are a compilation of twelve such settings, and are dated by a mention of the reigning pontiff, Alexandervii , (1655 - 1667). Ms 205 gives the year more precisely as 1661, nine years after Allegri’s death. Alfieri see( below) gives a date for the composition of 1638. Ms 205 contains verses 1, 5, 9, 13 and 17 of each different setting, with ms 206 containing verses 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19. The last verse, 20, is contained in both, as all nine voices sing together in this verse. The work is a falsobordone, alternating between a five part and four part choir, each separated by plainsong. The original part requirement, taken from the clefs is sattb and ssab, and would be performed one voice to each part. The clefs give no indication of transposition, and the work is essentially homophonic, with some rhythmic interest. The first chord of each verse is speech rhythm, sung to as many words as necessary. The first 5vv choir contains a number of suspensions which lead towards the final cadence, as does the second 4vv choir, whose other main feature is the striking 4th chord, with a diminished 5th between the upper parts, eventually resolving into D Major. The second choir contains no top C, but merely a slow descent from a treble E flat to the final cadence. The last verse has all nine voices singing together. The work has always been associated with Holy Week, as Psalm 51 features in the Liturgy for Lauds on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, commonly called Tenebrae —darkness— from Luke’s Gospel, 23:44: ‘and there was a darkness over all the earth’. Vatican ms 185 (see Appendix 5) Almost one hundred years after the conception of Allegri’s original, this manuscript appears in a volume dated 1731, scribed by Johannes Dominic de Biondini. Three other people are also mentioned; Clement xii, Pope from 1730 to 1740; Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni (1667-1740), the well-known patron of musicians; and Ansano Bernini, Master of the Papal Chapel. A Quest for the Holy Grail? 9 The work is clearly marked with Allegri’s name on the first page of music, yet there are a number of differences. The first tenor part has become another treble part, and some of the bass notes are changed to provide a more effective harmony. There is also more movement in the harmony, and some ornamenta- tion, including a curious C# at one point. It is here that the marvellous chord of C minor with a minor 7th and 9th is introduced, before the cascade of treble thirds. This matches Allegri’s own discordant moment in the second choir. The work also takes on a much more polyphonic character, but the speech rhythm is retained. Allegri’s original part requirement returns for the last verse. The style of print is relatively archaic, and the music is written out in parts. Curiously, no parts exist for the second choir. Biondini was also to write mss 340 & 341 in 1748. These contain the 4vv and 5vv choirs, respectively, of both Bai’s and Allegri’s settings. Charles Burney (1726 - 1814) La musica che si canta annualmente nelle Funzioni della Settimana Santa nella Cappella Pontificale. 1771 (see Appendices 3 & 4) This printed book is important, as it shows a variation from any of the mss. The first choir is a further reworking of ms 185, 40 years later, with the harmony slightly more complex than before. However, the second choir is simpler than Allegri’s original, and does not include the abbellimenti. The legend Si Canto il Mercoledi e Venerdi Santo Miserere del Signor Gregorio Allegri is visible on the first page of music, showing that it was sung on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. Each verse of each choir is harmonically identical, whereas ms 185 has a number of differences between verses. An attempt to notate the speech rhythm is made only in the first verse of each choir; after that, subsequent verses give the indication Canto Fermo above the speech rhythm.The second choir is even more bare than Allegri’s original, omitting some suspensions and the striking 4th chord. In the last verse we find the instruction Questo ultimo verso si canta Adagio e Piano, smorzando a poco a poco l’Armonia. The book also contains Bai’s setting of the same text, sung on Maundy Thursday, which is remarkably similar to other eighteenth century sources, as well as Palestrina’s Stabat Mater, Improperia (Reproaches) and Fratres ego, which were sung as a psalm in Mass, at the Adoration of the Cross, and on Tuesday of Holy Week respectively. 10 Allegri’s Miserere British Library ms 31395 Bought by me at Rome in the Corso, 1841. Frederick Blaydes, Ch. Ch. Oxon. This copy is all but identical to Vatican mss 185 and 206, but scored and collated. The only difference is that the speech rhythm has been written out in a very deliberate style in all but a few verses. Interestingly enough, the speech rhythm here is consistent with that present elsewhere. Allegri’s authorship is clearly stated. British Library ms 24291 Musica Clasica [sic] by several Maestri della Cappella Vaticana, copied by or for Giovanni Jubilli. This scored ms starts off as before, with the first verse a copy of Vatican ms 185, and the 4vv choir is in keeping with Allegri’s original. However, the copy is not complete: he allows one more first choir verse, and then a quite different second choir verse before the last 9 part verse. This 4vv verse is verse eleven of Tommaso Bai’s setting of the Miserere. An organ part is written out for each verse, being a simple reductio partiturae.